Altos las Hormigas • ‘Terroir’ Malbec • 2011 Mendoza - Uco Valley, Argentina
What is it? Malbec is a varietal originating in the south-west of France, however the modern sipper knows it best as Argentina’s contribution to the wine world. It has had unrivaled popularity over recent years due to its large production, bargain basement prices, mass flavour appeal, and great marketing. 'Terroir' '''is a series from Altos Las Hormigas where the aim is to showcase the unique vineyard that they selected. There is limestone, it's organic and biodynamic. They harvest as early as possible to arrive at lower alcohols, they use natural yeast and they don't use new oak. Minimal sulfites. It's all about the site. '''Who makes it? Altos Las Hormigas (est. 1996) is considered one of the benchmark producers of malbec in Argentina. It’s headed by Italian Alberto Antonini, regarded as one of the world’s top winemakers and grounded by Chilean Pedro Parra PhD who is considered to be the top vineyard soil specialist in the world. Not too shabby. Worth mentioning that these two are also working with Okanagan Crush Pad in Summerland, BC. Where does it come from? Mendoza is in the foothills of the Andes mountains in western Argentina. Within Mendoza, there are a variety of sub-regions. One is the '''Uco Valley' – Antonini calls this the best region of Mendoza because of its unique soils and difference between the heat of the day and the cool of the night. He says the grapes here offer a brigher, fresher, more vibrant profiles than the hotter and darker surrounding regions.'' What does it taste like? This is a full-bodied red wine exuding delightful nuances of black cherry, violets, and plum. It’s not just fruit though. The palate offers a unique, almost stony, ripple of quench. It’s very balanced for a full body wine. The texture is absolutely mouthcoating and undeniably sexy. Is it classic? ''' Yes. This is a classic new world wine region offering the most important expression of Malbec on the planet. '''What should I eat with it? As they do in Argentina, get carnivorous and sip this with the biggest, juiciest steak you can find. It’s meant for meat. It is very intense and will overwhelm all but the fullest of flavour. Because of its pristine balance, it can handle moderate spice. But if it gets too hot, the alcohol will flare up and burn the wine and the food. It is brilliant with our steak. Sommelier says: “Malbec is the darling of those just getting into wine. It’s everything that this generation’s palate craves. It’s not your dad’s stodgy Bordeaux - it’s not your mom’s Chardy – it’s just exotic enough to sound adventurous and it’s just new enough to define a new generation of wine drinkers. It’s affordable, it’s everywhere, and it’s a terrific brand name. MAL-BEC. Short. Easy to pronounce. Easy to remember. Firm consonant syllables. Finally, it happens to taste pretty damn good to individuals unaccustomed to the crunchy acidities and the firm tannins of European red wines. In the wine community Malbec has a bad rap 1) because it is a pretty simple style of wine 2) because it is imminently popular. The best I can compare it to is probably Nickelback and Michael Bay. Or Taylor Swift and The Fast and the Furious Series. This is a Malbec I love though. This is a winery that I love done by people I hugely admire. It’s not inexpensive, but it is worth the dollars. Especially alongside our Ribeye. Unreal” - JY